ALAN PARDEW feels his side are on the brink of a superb start to the new season – providing they take a maximum haul from Aston Villa tomorrow.

The Newcastle United boss guided his team to the Europa League group stages on Thursday night, but is now fully focused on switching the focus back to the Premier League.

Pardew’s side may not have repeated their unbeaten start to the season like last term, but victory over Villa will give them a reasonable return from their opening three games given they went up against the European champions just 48 hours after facing Atromitos in the first leg of the play-off round.

But Pardew told the Chronicle: “Obviously we’re looking for a Premier League win. To get six points from the first two home games would be fantastic for us.

“When you look at the first three games on paper Tottenham and Villa at home and then Chelsea away, I think we’d have all snapped your hand off if we’d been offered six points.

“Throw in qualifying for the Europa League group stage and it has been a good start. But we have to get that win and that’s easier said than done.”

Pardew will ring the changes again tomorrow with Papiss Cisse, Hatem Ben Arfa and Jonas Gutierrez certain to return to his starting line-up.

The Toon boss fielded a strong team to beat the Greek outfit on Thursday and played Fabricio Coloccini, Demba Ba and Danny Simpson from the start.

But he also rested some of his star names in order to keep them fresh for the encounter with Villa.

Pardew said: “The side I fielded gives us a chance to win a Premier League game. I hope I’ve done that.”

The United boss could be without Cheick Tiote, while Ryan Taylor is definitely out of the game with Paul Lambert’s early season strugglers.